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Hearty Fish Stew

The cold and wind are no match for this hearty stew. Do your heart a favor and give it a try.

Cozy up with a bowl of heart-healthy fish stew. Low in cholesterol, sodium and fat, this stew tastes anything but light. Fennel, onion, garlic and tomato create a flavorful broth that is chock full of fish and potatoes.

Choose your ingredients wisely to keep this recipe low in sodium. Look for canned tomatoes and broth that are no-salt-added or reduced sodium.

If you want, you can make the soup base the day before, and then reheat and cook the potatoes and fish before serving.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium bulb of fennel

Small pinch crushed red pepper (optional)

1 15oz can diced tomatoes, no salt added

2.5 cups no-salt-added chicken, vegetable, or seafood broth

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1 inch dice

1 ½ lbs cod or other firm white fish

3 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Directions

Prepare fennel by removing the green stalks and making a clean slice at the base. Chop the white bulb and reserve the feathery fronds for garnish. Stalks tend to be stringy but can be sliced very thinly and added to salads or used to make vegetable broth.

In a large Dutch oven or pot with lid, heat olive oil over medium low. Add onion, garlic, and chopped white fennel bulb and cook until vegetables are softened but not browned, 10-12 minutes. If desired, add a small pinch of crushed red pepper to the vegetables for the last few minutes of cooking.

Add canned tomatoes with their liquid and broth to the pot. Stir well and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. At this point the soup base can be cooled and refrigerated until you are ready to continue.

Increase heat to medium, add diced potatoes, and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes have just begun to soften. Stir occasionally so potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Remove lid and add fish, pressing down to make sure it is submerged in the liquid. Cook until potatoes are soft but not falling apart and fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Sprinkle stew with chopped parsley and gently stir the soup. The fish should flake into bite sized hunks as it is stirred. If not, help it along with your spoon. Serve immediately, garnishing with reserved fennel fronds.